Measuring the contribution of ‘tourism’ as an industry within existing economic models of contribution to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) through the creation of Satellite Accounts where the tourism inputs are defined.-The Sustainable Tourism Cooperative Research Centre (STCRC), through its Prosper research program found that these modelling approaches use either input / output or Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modelling tools are less accurate in regional areas and can be supplemented by:
-Primary data collection on visitor expenditure and flow-on effects
-Cost-benefit analysis of individual tourism projects; and
-Dedicated multiplier analysis to measure flow-on impacts.
While less statistically reliable, many destinations use national estimates of expenditure and job creation and apply them to estimated local visitation.